To quote or not to quote?

While I enjoy reading scriptures from all religions whenever my meditation allows, I choose to quote them only after my meditation has validated them.

I have met people with deep knowledge of scriptures but limited Self-Realization. Infact, many scholars become intellectual rather than spiritual - and they spend their entire life under the burden of their intellect. Self realization is just that - realization of the Self. It is not necessarily memorization or theoretcical interpretation of the scriptures. Real spirituality has to be experienced within oneself.

Scriptures, apart from preserving a society's cultural heritage, are useful primarily for three purposes as far as Self Realization is concerned:

1. Independent validation of experiences you have had in meditation or during spiritual practice

2. Motivation to practice meditation or devotion, or work for the good of all beings

3. Fill up times when one is not in a position to meditate

scripturesUnderstand- that true scriptures are revealed automatically in meditation as the meditation becomes stronger.